Barcode printers are specially designed printers designed to produce barcode labels. Barcode labels can be encoded with identification and other information and attached to countless items and objects. Barcode printers are ruggedly designed for long-term continuous use but like most devices with electro-mechanical rotating components, they eventually malfunction and stop operating as intended.
Periodic servicing and preventative maintenance procedures are often performed to ensure reliable operation of barcode printers. However, even well maintained printers may stop working due to the unexpected failure of individual components. These breakdowns often result in significant costs due to unscheduled down-time and costly repair bills from specialized printer repair technicians.
Businesses that rely on barcode printers often have service contracts with skilled technicians for periodic servicing and ‘as-needed’ repairs of their printers. Service contracts help ensure the availability of qualified repair technicians in the event that emergency repairs are needed. However, service fees may still be assessed even if no repairs are needed for a given period. Further, the cost of service calls may quickly add up and cut into profits depending on the nature, duration, complexity, and time of the calls. Still further, time spent waiting for a service technician may cut into profits even more if production is affected.
Therefore, a need exists for a guided printer servicing system that assists with troubleshooting common barcode printer problems to the extent that an end-user with limited repair skills or training may restore a malfunctioning barcode printer to full working order. A need further exists for such a guided servicing system to operate on a widely available mobile computer or other portable electronic device such as a smart phone.